UC Chile strengthens academic ties with Belgium during historic state visit
As part of the Belgian delegation’s State Visit to Chile, headed by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, UC Chile authorities, academics, and researchers participated in the academic itinerary, along with universities from Belgium.
photo_camera Authorities from UC Louvain, KU Leuven, and Ghent University visited UC Chile during the Belgian State Visit to Chile. Photo credit: César Dellepiane, UC Chile Office of the Vice President of Communications and Cultural Outreach
The State Visit took place from June 23 to June 26. In addition to the Monarchs of Belgium King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, authorities, representatives, academics, and researchers from Belgian universities also arrived. This event represented an important opportunity for institutions from both countries to strengthen existing alliances and to explore new possibilities for collaboration.
UC Chile played an important role on the academic itinerary of this diplomatic occasion, taking part in seminars, meetings, and events centered on the areas of engineering, health sciences, social sciences, and innovation.
On Monday June 23, UC Chile President Juan Carlos de la Llera welcomed Ghent University President Rik Van de Walle to the Sala de Audiencias. Both authorities were accompanied by delegations of academics and professionals from the areas of health sciences, engineering, architecture, and international affairs.
The meeting provided an opportunity to explore possible avenues for collaboration in various fields and to share common interests in cooperation. At present, no formal relationship has been established between the two institutions, making this a first milestone in the history of their partnership.
During the morning of the same day, UC Chile Vice President for International Affairs Maria Montt Strabucchi met with Reine Meylaerts, Vice President of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven (KU Leuven). This meeting served to reinforce the formal relationship UC Chile has had with the Belgian institution since 2005, while also opening new possibilities for cooperation.
“The international cooperation with countries such as Belgium, which may be geographically distant, responds to key challenges and objectives that are fundamental to global academic and scientific development. Chile and Belgium have a long history of collaboration, where academic ties have been key to fostering dialogue and research in sustainability, innovation, theology, social sciences, humanities, healthcare systems, and utilization of natural resources. This State Visit allows us not only to strengthen these ties, but also open new avenues for collaborative work that will project our capabilities into the future.” - Maria Montt Strabucchi, Vice President for International Affairs.
On Wednesday June 25, UC Chile President Juan Carlos de la Llera welcomed UC Louvain President Françoise Smets, accompanied by Provost of International Affairs Hervé Jeanmart. This meeting was also attended by UC Chile Vice President Maria Montt, and UC Louvain Director of International Affairs Christel Vacelet.
The day continued with a series of meetings coordinated by the Strategic Relationship Team of the Office of Global Relations (VRAI). These meetings gathered representatives from the delegation of UC Louvain with authorities of the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies and Faculty of Medicine of UC Chile. The meetings provided opportunities for dialogue and joint exploration, aimed at identifying common interests and possible areas of collaboration in research and academic training.
UC Chile researchers shine in international seminar on innovation in circular mining
On Tuesday June 24, at the Sheraton Hotel conference room, the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals (SIM2) organized the international seminar “Innovating Together: Critical Raw Materials, Waste Valorisation & Climate Action.” This activity was divided into three panels with renowned Belgian and Chilean presenters who addressed issues related to responsible mining, innovation, and sustainability.
This seminar was a meeting place for diverse academic perspectives from both countries, focusing on climate action and responsibility in the mining sector.
Professor Lilian De Lourdes Velásquez, from the Mining Engineering Department of the UC Chile School of Engineering, participated in the first panel, “Responsible Production of Strategic and Critical Raw Materials.” In the second panel, “Circularity in Mining – Metals and Construction Materials from Mining Residues”, Marcelo González Hormazábal, professor and researcher from the UC Chile Concrete Center Innovation, presented.
UC Chile and Belgium: A history of international cooperation and student mobility
Currently, UC Chile has a total of 16 active agreements with Belgian institutions, marking over 24 years since the first formal relationship was established. This includes 2 cooperative agreements and 14 global mobility agreements.
Among the institutions with which UC Chile has formal agreements are KU Leuven, UC Louvain, Université Liege, VIVES University, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and HEPH Condorcet.
According to data from the Agreements and Evaluation Area of the Office of Global Relations (VRAI), student mobility from Belgium to UC Chile has been documented since 1995, with UC Chile welcoming 95 students to date. Conversely, 80 UC Chile students to date have participated in exchange programs with Belgian institutions.
UC Chile faculty members also maintain a close academic relationship with the European country, with 21 UC Chile professors holding postgraduate degrees from Belgium. Additionally, 909 joint publications have been produced by UC Chile scholars in collaboration with Belgian peers over the past decade.
